Base town(s) or fincas or cabins in coffee region

My friend and I want to spend about 7-10 days in the coffee region (and maybe Medellín) in Colombia. We might want to do a one day walk or some horseback riding but otherwise no multiple day hikes or anything like that. We'd like to visit cute towns, thermal baths (San Vicente seems amazing! maybe stay in a cabin there?), fincas (maybe stay in one?), the cloud forest, any other interesting / beautiful parts of nature.

Salento also appeals to me, so does Rio Claro.

Which towns, fincas or cabins would be a good base from which we can easily get to thermal baths and other places of interest? By public transport, or organised tours? I imagine we may want to sleep in a maximum of three different places in those 7-10 days.
We're considering renting a car from Pereira or Armenia or Manizales (but staying in smaller towns or fincas), would it be worth the steep rental costs, would it really enable us to get to more places (and cost the same as an organised tour)?

Rio Claro seems a little bit out of the way (if we were to skip Medellín, and fly from Armenia or Pereira to Cartagena). Is it worth going there, is it very different?

Muchas gracias, for any thoughts.

Edited by: Cecilia